valver auxillary belt help

[rasp]

I have put a new belt on, but have a problem tensioning it.

The he middle.

manual says turn the flat clockwise while holding the allen key in the middle

I do this but the flat seems to need to be tightened over and over, that is whn I turn the flat clockwise no more tension seems to be applied.

I am using an adjustable which is making life harder, but am getting and open ended tomorrow.

I cant understand how tightening the flat makes the belt tension, could anyone please help explain how it works as I do not understand the theory behind it, I am sure the belt I got is the right one.

 

[rasp]

anyone please?...cars on stilts !

 

[chip16v]

from what i can remember the tensioner has a gear on the back and runs on along rack. in effect it works like a rack and pinion, when you turn the wheel clockwise it is pulled towards the front of the engine along the rack thus tightening the belt. as for why it isnt tightening the belt it could be that your adjustable is just rounding on the nut ( dont use a adjustable their crap) or it could be that the rack which is cast has snapped off. if the rack has snapped your up sh!t creek.

 

[Jas]

chip has it right. you loosen the allen bit in the middle, then, using a spanner, turn the outer nut, when the belt tightens, you need to tighten the allen bit to secure it. It doesnt take much movement on the outer nut to tighten it. How much play is left on your belt? and how did you get an adjustable to fit in that space?

 

[JAY172]

the nut is a 24m and the allen key is a 7m.you use the nut to tension the belt and tighten the allen key back up to hold the tensioner in place so holding belt tension.when you turn the nut the tensioner climbs up some teeth on the support bracket.ive had it on some older cars where the teeth on the bracket have stripped away and so nothing for the tensioner to climb up.if you still cant tension the belt remove the tensioner and check the teeth on the casting.

 

[rasp]

the nut on mine is a 22mm, got an adjustable and also a ring spaner in there too!

in the manual it tells you to go clockwise to slacken it then go clockwise again to tighten it, mmm.

I am thinking now that it may have run off the rack possibly?

or maybe the way to bring it forward is to go anticlockwise?

thanks for your replies so far, this job is really doing my head in, taken 4 hours so far, used to do my 205 in 20 minutes!

 

[Jas]

im pretty sure its clockwise to tighten it

 

[rasp]

in that case its either fallen off the rack or ground down, gutted if its grounded off.

must remember to join up this week.

 

[JAY172]

tighten back up the allen key and then undo so its just cracked off but the tensioner doesnt wobble around to much,this way you know the tensioner cant have missed the teeth on the bracket

 

[rasp]

ok gonna try all these suggestions today, will let you know how i get on.#

thanks again

 

[rasp]

good news, sort of. the back two teeth on the rack were snapped but still managed to get it tensioned.

to tension it on mine its anticlockwise, so a big misprint in the haynes manual.

thought it was the belt making the squeeking noise on my car but its still there, belt was split anyway though.

thanks for your help people, going to join very shortly